Steps to CDA

Steps to CDA

Anytime before I apply

  • Earn a high school diploma, GED or be enrolled as a junior or senior in a high school career and technical program in early childhood education.
  • Complete 120 hours of formal early childhood education training, covering the growth and development of children ages 3 to 5 years old (Preschool CDA Credential), 0-36 months (Infant/Toddler CDA Credential), and birth-5 years old (Family Care and Home Visitor CDA Credentials) with no fewer than 10 training hours in each of the eight CDA subject areas.

 

 

CDA Subject Areas

  • Planning a safe and healthy learning environment
  • Advancing children’s physical and intellectual development
  • Supporting children’s social and emotional development
  • Building productive relationships with families
  • Managing an effective program operation
  • Maintaining a commitment to professionalism
  • Observing and recording children’s behavior
  • Understanding principles of child development and learning

 

 

Within 3 years of submitting application:

  • Obtain 480 hours of professional work experience in a center-based setting with children ages 3-5 years old – Preschool CDA Credential
  • Obtain 480 hours of professional work experience in a center-based setting with children ages 0-36 months – Infant/Toddler CDA Credential
  • Obtain 480 hours of professional work experience in a group setting with children ages birth to 5 years old – Family Care CDA Credential
  • Worked 480 hours in a Home Visitor program serving families with children aged birth to five years – Home Visitor CDA Credential

 

 

Within 6 months of submitting application:

Preschool CDA Credential and Infant/Toddler Credential

  • Prepare your CDA Professional Portfolio – You are required to put together a collection of reference materials related to your work. Please follow the detailed instructions in your Competency Standards book to prepare your CDA Professional Portfolio.
  • Find a CDA Professional Development (PD) Specialist. Go to https://www.yourcda.org/Find-a-PDS/pds_search.cfm?lang=en

 

Family Child Care CDA Credential

  • Prepare your CDA Professional Portfolio – You are required to put together a collection of reference materials related to your work. Please follow the detailed instructions in your Competency Standards book to prepare your CDA Professional Portfolio.
  • Family Questionnaires- You are required to distribute and collect Family Questionnaires. The Competency Standards book includes a blank questionnaire with instructions of how to distribute the questionnaires.
  • Find a CDA Professional Development (PD) Specialist – https://www.yourcda.org/Find-a-PDS/pds_search.cfm?lang=en

 

Home Visitor CDA Credential

  1. Complete the My CDA Professional Portfolio cover sheet
  2. Complete the Summary of My CDA Education cover sheet and a and assemble my training transcripts, certificates and or letters
  3. Distribute and collect Family Questionnaires, complete Family Questionnaires summary sheet
  4. Complete the My CDA Professional Portfolio cover sheet
  5. Complete the Summary of My CDA Education cover sheet and assembled my training transcripts, certificates and or letters
  6. Distribute and collected Family Questionnaires, completed Family Questionnaires Summary sheet
  7. Reflect on the feedback I received from the Family Questionnaires and wrote my Areas of Strength and Areas for Professional Growth in boxes A and B on the Reflective Dialogue worksheet
  8. Secured the Parent Observation Permission Form (completed and signed) from the family where my Observation will take place
  9. Obtain my Assessor’s Recommendation Form (in a sealed envelope)
  10. Gather all of the items for my Resource Collection
  11. Wrote Six Reflective Statements of Competence
  12. Wrote my Professional Philosophy Statement

 

 

Apply

Apply online for your CDA Credential using the https://www.cdacouncil.org/yourcda

To use YourCDA, please have the following:

Initial CDA:

– a valid email address
– your Director’s email address
– your PD Specialist’s ID number

  1. Once you are ready, register by clicking “New User Registration” to the left of the screen.
  2. Complete the online application, which will include sending statement requests to your Director and PD Specialist.

OR

Complete a paper application provided in the CDA Preschool CDA Competency Standards Book.

  • The non-refundable / non-transferable application fee of $425 must be submitted with your application. Make sure to secure the funds before you submit your application.

 

NEW YORK STATE Funding Sources:

New York State Coordinating Council

(518) 690-4217

New York State Child Care Educational Incentive Program

(518) 443-5940

Toll free (800) 295-9616

 

  • Once your CDA application has been reviewed and accepted you will receive a Ready to Schedule notification from the Council.
  • Wait for the Council to review your application and send you the Ready to Schedule Notice. Once you receive it, you may proceed to schedule your CDA Exam with Pearson Vue and your Verification Visit with your PD Specialist. SPECIAL NOTE: If you pay with a credit card, you will be able to schedule your Verification Visit immediately and your CDA Exam the next day!
  • Continue to check YourCDA for status updates.
  • Receive my Ready to Schedule notification from the Council

 

 

Demonstrate

  • Once you receive your Ready to Schedule notification from the Council, you are ready to schedule your CDA Verification Visit and CDA Exam.

 

Earn

  • Scores are electronically submitted to the Council by the CDA PD Specialist and Pearson Vue testing center.
  • A Council committee will review the results of your assessment and render a decision whether to award you the CDA Credential. If your credential is awarded, the official Child Development Associate® credential will be mailed to you. If the committee decides you need more training, the Council will let you know the next steps to take to earn the Credential.